Brexit: David Cameron doesn't regret calling referendum

David Cameron has said he does not regret calling the EU referendum, despite the crushing suffered by Theresa May over her Brexit deal.

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron delivers a speech during his time in office. Picture: Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images

The former Prime Minister said he backed his successor in her ongoing efforts to win support for her proposed deal with Brussels, but insisted it was right to give the public a vote on EU membership despite the ongoing deadlock.

Speaking ahead of a vote of confidence in Mrs May’s government yesterday evening, Mr Cameron said: “I hope she wins the vote tonight, I’m sure she will.

“I hope then that parliament can come together and find an alternative partnership agreement with the European Union, that’s the right way forward, that’s what her deal was about last night and she has my support as she does this.”

Mr Cameron was confronted by reporters outside his London home returning from a jog.

Asked if he regretted calling the 2016 EU referendum, Mr Cameron said: “I don’t regret calling the referendum. It was a promise I made two years before the 2015 general election. It was included in the manifesto, it was legislated for in parliament - six out of seven members of all parties voted for that referendum.

“Obviously I regret that we lost the referendum - I deeply regret that - I was leading the campaign to stay in the European Union and obviously I regret the difficulties and the problems we’ve been having trying to implement the result of that referendum. But I don’t think it’s going to be helped by me giving a running commentary.

“I support the prime minister - I support her aim to have a partnership deal with Europe - that’s what needs to be in place, that’s what parliament needs to try and deliver now, and she has my support as she tries to do that.”

Last week a campaign group calling itself Led By Donkeys erected a billboard opposite Mr Cameron’s home with an image of a tweet sent ahead of the 2015 general election, telling voters that “Britain faces a simple and inescapable choice - stability and strong government with me, or chaos with Ed Milliband.”